Washing and drying machine with fluid impeller



Feb. 28, 1950 L. P. BOZANICH 2,493,734

WASHING AND DRYING MACHINE WITH FLUID IMPELLER Filed Aug. 6, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2.

Louie R Bozanich INVENTOR.

, BY (M 19% Feb. 28, 1950 L. P. NBOZANICH WASHING AND DRYING momma WITH mm: IIPELLER 2 Shee/ts-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 6, 1948 k .w n W am 2T 1 A m B m 8 7 w I U 0 L Y B B Mm m 0 J a u) 1 J 2 J Y 7 H 4 2 V 9 8 7 Fig. 6.

Patented Feb. 28, 1950 OFFICE WASHING AND DRYING MACHINE WITH FLUID IMPELLER Louie P. Bozanich, Seattle, Wash.

Application August 6, 1948, Serial No. 42,903

Claims. 1

This invention comprehends a washing and drying machine'of novel construction, wherein the washing is accomplished by circulating wash ing liquid within the tub so that it will be forced through the wash placed within a revolving basket disposed within the tub.

An important object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above kind embodying means to periodically reverse the direction of flow of the washing liquid in its circulation within the tub, whereby a most efiicient washing action is had which is enhanced periodically by the centrifugal action resulting from revolving the wash containing basket.

A further object is to circulate the washing liquid by means of a screw impeller whose blades are rotated about their longitudinal axes to gradually vary and periodically reverse the pitch thereof, whereby the force of circulation of the washing liquid is gradually varied and the direction of its circulation is periodically reversed.

Another object is to provide novel power operated means to drive the basket and the impeller and to rotate the impeller blades about their longitudinal axes.

Still another object is to provide a shell between the tub and the basket which has top and bottom openings above and below said basket, so that the washing liquid is positively conducted from the top of the basket to the bottom thereof, and vice versa, when said liquid is circulated.

The exact nature of the present invention, as well as other objects and features thereof, will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a washing and drying machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged central vertical section thereof, showing circulation of the washing liquid in one direction; 1

Figure 3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 2, showing circulation of the washing liquid in the opposite direction;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on a line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on a line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on a line 66 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates a tub or outer casing provided with supporting legs 5a. The tub is closed at the bottom and is provided with a central top opening 6 closed by a hinged cover I. The bottom of the tub has a central upstanding frusto-conical deflector 8 in which the intermediate portion of a vertical tubular shaft 9 is journaled by means of bearings H). A liquid seal or packing H at the top of deflector 8 prevents leakage of liquid through the bottom of the tub 5 about the shaft 9.

Disposed centrally of and within the tub 5 is a perforated or foraminous wash containing basket l2 fixed on the upper end of a vertical shaft I 3 that extends through and is concentrically journaled within the tubular shaft 9 by means of bearings M. The upper end of shaft 9 freely extends into a recess l5 in the bottom of basket l2 and is surrounded by a liquid seal or packing I 6 carried by the latter, to prevent passage of washing liquid from the tub 5 into and through said shaft 9. Shaft 9 forms the hub of a horizontal screw impeller which is disposed between the bottoms of tub 5 and basket I2, and which also includes radial blades ILhavin-g stems l8 at their inner ends journaled in radial bearings l9 carried by shaft 9. Bevel pinions 20 are secured on the inner ends of the stems l8 and mesh with a bevel gear 2| secured on shaft I3. An electric motor 22 is secured on a suitable support 23 carried by the legs 5a beneath the tub, and bevel pinions 24 and 25 fixed on the drive shaft of the said motor respectively mesh with bevel gears 26 'and 21, respectively secured on the lower ends of shafts 9 and I3. The ratio of the bevel gearings 24 and 26 and 25 and 21 is such that shaft l3 and basket [2 are driven at a higher speed than shaft 9 and the impeller. Also, due to this difference in the speeds of the shafts 9 and I3, gear 2| meshing with pinions 20 causes rotation of impeller blades I! about their longitudinal axes so as to gradually vary the pitch of said blades and to periodically reverse the pitch thereof.

Rigidly mounted in spaced relation to and within the tub 5 and about the basket l2 as well as extending below the impeller. is a shell 28 having large central top and bottom openings 29 and 30. The deflector 8 projects into the bottom opening 30 centrally thereof, and a similar inverted deflector 3| on the underside of cover 1 similarly projects into the top opening 29 when said cover is closed. Washing liquid may be removed from the tub 5 by a suitable means. such as by the provision of a drain cock 32.

In operation, the cover I is swung to open position, and the tub is partly filled with washing liquid or soapy water to a suitable height between the top and bottom of the basket. The wash is then placed in the basket, the cover is closed, and motor 22 is thrown into operation for rotating the basket and impeller at diflerent speeds and for rotating the impeller blades as previously mentioned. The rotating impeller sucks the washing liquid outwardly through the wash and the lower portion of the basket into the lower portion of shell 28, and then forces said liquid downwardly through opening 30, upwardly between the space between the tub and shell 28, and then downwardly into the top of the basket onto the wash, as indicated in Figure 3. At this time, the washing action is enhanced by the centrifugal action resulting from rotation of the basket. During this time, the impeller blades rotate or feather, so that the force of circulation of washing liquid is gradually increased and then diminished until the pitch of the blades is reversed. The impeller then sucks the liquid upwardly through the opening 30 and forces it inwardly through the basket and the wash, then out of the top of the basket into and downwardly through the space between the tub and the shell, the force of circulation varying as before. The flow of the liquid is such as to substantially simulate hand washing, so that the wash is thoroughly cleaned without subjecting the same to the destructive action of mechanical agitating means. When it is desired to extract liquid from the wash after it is cleaned, rinsed and blued, the liquid is removed from the tub, and the basket is revolved with the wash therein so that the water is extracted by centrifugal action according to common practice.

While I have shown only one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine for washing clothes and the like, in combination, a tub for containing a washing liquid, a perforated wash containing basket mounted in said tub for rotation about its vertical axis, a horizontal screw impeller rotatably mounted in said tub beneath said basket and having radial blades rotatable about their longitudinal axes, and power operated means to rotate said basket and said impeller and to rotate the impeller blades about their longitudinal axes.

2. In a machine for washing clothes and the like, in combination, a tub for containing a washing liquid, a perforated wash containing basket mounted in said tub for rotation about its vertical axis and having a drive shaft, a horizontal screw impeller rotatably mounted in said tub beneath said basket and having a drive shaft, said impeller including radial blades rotatable about their longitudinal axes, power operated means to rotate the basket and impeller drive shafts at different speeds, and a driving connection between the basket drive shaft and the impeller blades for rotating the latter about their longitudinal axes when the basket and the impeller are rotated.

3. In a machine for washing clothes and the like, in combination, a tub for containing a washing liquid, 9. vertical shaft extending through and journaled in the bottom of the tub centrally thereof, a perforated wash containing basket fixed on the upper end of said shaft and arranged within the tub for rotation about its vertical axis, a tubular shaft extending through and journaled in the bottom of the tub and disposed concentrically of and about the first named shaft, impeller blades extending radially from said tubular shaft beneath the basket and mounted for rotation about their longitudinal axes, power operated means operably connected to the lower ends of said shafts for rotatably driving the same at different speeds, and a beveled gearing between the first named shaft and said impeller blades for rotating the latter about their longitudinal axes when said shafts are so driven atdifferent speeds.

4. The construction defined in claim 1, wherein the basket and the impeller are rotatable about a common vertical axis, in combination with an imperforate shell rigidly mounted within the tub between and spaced from the tub and the basket, said shell extending below the impeller and above the basket and having relatively large openings at the top and bottom thereof.

5. The construction defined in claim 1, in combination with a shell rigidly mounted within the tub between and in spaced relation to the tub and the basket, said shell extending below the impeller and having relatively large openings at the top and bottom, a substantially frusto-conical deflector on the bottom of the tub extending into the bottom opening of the shell centrally of the latter, a cover for the tub, and a second inverted fru-sto-conical deflector carried by the underside of said cover and arranged to centrally project into the top opening of the shell when the cover is closed.

LOUIE P. BOZANICH.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Churchman Jan. 24, 1871 Number 

